After only a few water hunts, the AT Pro is dead :(

[CoilToTheSoil]

I saw a post somewhere where an individual replaced his faceplate because it was damaged. Garrett actually sent him the part. Does the faceplate actually pop off somehow? If so I wonder if we could pop it off and seal it somehow as a preventive measure.

That was likely replacing the laminate part that adheres to the front faceplate. The part that has all of the writing on it, not the clear plate itself.

 

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[CoilToTheSoil]

I'm thinking on probably getting another detector, NOT a Garrett. I'm feeling devastated. I mean c'mon it's not a 200$ purchase and I bought it with the idea of using it on land/water hunts. But now I know it ain't fully submersible. If you get caugh in rain? Yes it'll survive but again, they advertise it as a waterproof machine but will only survive a couple of dives? Like I said on my Dead ATP thread "they should rename the machine from "water proof" to "water resistant"!

Yea i bought a minelab excalibur. I'll just use the ATP as a backup or park machine I guess. What a bummer. Lesson learned, check the manufacture date on your at pro. If it was made 2 years ago or longer, think long and hard about putting it under water. It will NOT be covered if it leaks through no fault of your own. If it breaks again I'll just cash out of the ATP setup for good, sell all my accessories and sell the machine for parts or repair.
Alternative 2, do what some smart people do. After the warranty expires, sell it and buy a new one under warranty. The $100 every 2 years to keep a machine current under warranty may be good insurance if your planning on alot of water hunts.

 

[Terry Soloman]

Was the detector hot and the water cold when you hosed it down after the hunt? If so, those conditions can produce a great negative pressure, possibly pulling some water into the machine..... That's just a guess? It sounds like the machine worked like it was supposed to in the water up until you finished the hunt. Perhaps it is the battery pack? Try putting your tongue on the and of the battery pack with 4 x AA batteries in it. You should feel a slight buzz on your tongue. Call Garrett and see what they can do for you. It is still under warranty and Garrett has very good customer service. Good luck!

I know of some detectors costing 3 x as much as the AT Series which are often leaking. I always take extra care when using any of my machines in the water. A visual check and a quick hand tight test of all the connectors is a must. Never put a hot coil/machine in cold water. Cool the machine off first in the shade if it is hot from being in the car or the sun.

Good luck! Let us know how it works out for you.....

In my OPINION, there is no excuse for a water leak in a "waterproof" machine. You can whitewash it any way you want, but if an American company sells you a "FULLY SUBMERSIBLE" machine, then charges YOU to fix it when it fails, that is unacceptable and unforgivable. Shame on Garrett for marketing the AT PRO as a saltwater beach machine, and shame on them again for marketing the machine as "Fully Submersible!"

Oh and John, Name names! "I know of some detectors costing 3 x as much as the AT Series which are often leaking." Inquiring minds want to know!

 

[TheCaribbeanDigger]

In my OPINION, there is no excuse for a water leak in a "waterproof" machine. You can whitewash it any way you want, but if an American company sells you a "FULLY SUBMERSIBLE" machine, then charges YOU to fix it when it fails, that is unacceptable and unforgivable. Shame on Garrett for marketing the AT PRO as a saltwater beach machine, and shame on them again for marketing the machine as "Fully Submersible!"

Oh and John, Name names! "I know of some detectors costing 3 x as much as the AT Series which are often leaking." Inquiring minds want to know!

Thats exactly how I feel! You buy a Porche cause you like speed. You buy a kayak so that you could go to rivers and the beach but then the kayak has a fault and the company wont warrant your kayak because you used it how they marketed/sold you the equipment for! Did I miss something here? You label a product you want to sale that operates under circumstances and all of a sudden it leaks because of some malfunction and they wont give you another or fix the problem? Ok I understand the warranty time and yes most warranties expire in a time but heck, I used my machine no more than 3 times under 3-4 feet of water?? To me that's not acceptable. Like I said earlier. "Not water proof but water resistant"

 

[xr7ator]

So this machine was purchased brand new 6 months ago and it's not covered under warranty? It doesn't matter when it was made, it matters when it was purchased new.
Or, did you get a used machine as a present and had no warranty card and/or the original owner filed the warranty?
Garrett takes care of their customers 200%.
Care to elaborate?

 

[CoilToTheSoil]

Machine was a gift still unused and unopened, turns out it was purchased for me through a marine who had originally bought it from the marine exchange before deployment and never used, sat in the closet even after his return, until my parents bought it for me, knowing I was looking to get into water hunting. When i got it it was new and sealed in the box. Machine was manufactured mid 2013 by the serial number dating.
Of course no proof to garrett that it hadn't been used prior to me obtaining it and I'm not expecting them to take my word for it.
Point being that the machine has been on 3 water hunts since new and had leaked. The comments are valid that a machine marketed as a submersible machine which leaks through no fault of the owner, is misguided. I don't expect them to cover anything given the situation regarding it being a NOS gift. Bummed that they don't support a defective product, but not surprised given the warranty fine print.

 

[CoilToTheSoil]

Per garrett, they go by when the machine was made. At least that's what I was told over the phone. The gal I spoke with was polite in explaining everything to me and cut me all the breaks she could. I was grateful and thankful for that. But again it's still a bummer that a waterproof machine leaked without any wrongdoing or negligence on the user's part.

 

[CoilToTheSoil]

Thats exactly how I feel! You buy a Porche cause you like speed. You buy a kayak so that you could go to rivers and the beach but then the kayak has a fault and the company wont warrant your kayak because you used it how they marketed/sold you the equipment for! Did I miss something here? You label a product you want to sale that operates under circumstances and all of a sudden it leaks because of some malfunction and they wont give you another or fix the problem? Ok I understand the warranty time and yes most warranties expire in a time but heck, I used my machine no more than 3 times under 3-4 feet of water?? To me that's not acceptable. Like I said earlier. "Not water proof but water resistant"

My sentiments exactly